"It has been a privilege for me to lead this organization for so long, and there are many people I will remain grateful to," Franey said in a statement issued as the festival wrapped Friday night.

"Our senior staff and board have been working towards this executive transition for a few years, and we are fortunate to have several deeply knowledgeable and dedicated long-term employees who work 60-80 hour weeks on our behalf," he added.

In total, the Vancouver fest screened 341 films from 75 countries, including 92 Canadian films, during its latest run.

Other audience award winners included Ben Ratner's Down River, which wasnamed the most popular Canadian feature, and Haifaa Al Mansour's Wadjda, whichemerged as the most popular first feature.

And on the juried award front, the Vancouver festival gave its best Canadian first feature award to Jeff Barnaby's Rhymes for Young Ghouls, a breakout hit at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Jason James comedy That Burning Feeling.